Remember always to welcome strangers,
for by doing this,
some people have entertained angels
without knowing it.
-Hebrews 13:2
Easier said than done. Easier to accept the strange, the oddity, the abnormal, the out of the ordinary, when they are on TV, or online, or in the news, or at our neighbor's door. But as soon as they knock on our doors, maybe our hearts harden, suddenly paralyzed and tongue-tied, looking for an excuse to close the door.
What do you do if your husband told you he has prostate cancer, lost his job, or wants a divorce? What if your son tells you he is gay or a member of a hate group? What if you found out your daughter is a prostitute to support her meth addiction?
How welcoming will you be when you are face to face with these issues? Would you be able to do what you would advise a friend, a neighbor, when they are experiencing these strangeness? Can you keep your heart open in hell?
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
-Psalm 34
1 comment:
Yesterday I was at the Listening Post. A guest came in so I went over to welcome her and offer her some tea. She was not making sense and I was trying to understand what she was needing. She glared at me and said forcefully, "Don't stare me into a corner. I have too much of that in my life." Wow. I didn't close my heart, but I did give her the space that I felt that she was asking for. Thanks for reminding me that she was, is, an angel.
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